Desolate Era

by RWX

  Daoist Coldsun’s face was completely ashen now as well.

  Daoist Snowplume begged, “Everyone, you can punish Dong Seven as you please. You can even have Snowdragon Mountain do whatever you wish us to do. Just, please give us a way out.”

  “Everyone.” The captain who had apprehended Dong Seven spoke out emotionlessly. “Let’s do it.”

  With this order given, the squads of Golden Imperials immediately began to fly out of the warship.

  “FORMATION! PROTECT THE MOUNTAIN!” Daoist Blackdragon let out an earsplitting bellow, and his voice rang out in the ears of every single disciple.

  “SEALS!”

  “SNOWDRAGON SKYSOAR FORMATION!”

  Every single formation and restrictive spell which the previous generations experts of Snowdragon Mountain had ever created were instantly activated. One seal after another instantly appeared, hovering in the air. Clouds and mist appeared. One snowy white dragon after another began to appear as well, flying and weaving amidst the skies above the mountains. When a school unleashed all of its stored powers at once, even a Loose Immortal would find it difficult to break through the school.

  Rumble…

  One divine golden dragon after another began to appear in the skies. There were a total of eight divine golden dragons, each of which was coiled and nearly ten thousand kilometers long, and emanated a majestic presence.

  It was true that ordinary Loose Immortals would find it difficult to break through Snowdragon Mountain’s headquarters… but a squad of Golden Imperials consisted of a Loose Immortal commanding forty nine Primal Daoists, all of whom were dressed in Dao-armor, and who joined together to form into a divine dragon! Their might was at the very least comparable to ten ordinary Loose Immortals!

  And here… there were nine squads!

  Rumble…

  The golden dragons coiled and writhed in the sky. A simple thwack from one of the tails caused all of the seals to explode and crack, bursting as if they were soap bubbles.

  The captain who had captured Dong Seven just watched from above. As for the other eight squads, they had all transformed into golden dragons and were launching attacks at the below Snowdragon Mountain. With absolute superiority in raw power… they smashed through every single grand sealing formation. As for the so-called bewildering formations? Every single divine dragon was ten thousand kilometers in length; a single trembling movement from them caused entire formations to break apart.

  “This, this…” Daoist Coldsun had led his own disciples to form into an enormous Snowdragon. But, upon seeing the might and power of the divine golden dragons, he was so terrified he didn’t even dare to go block.

  He was a Primal Daoist, leading a group of Wanxiang Adepts and Zifu Disciples in forming a Snowdragon… and he was supposed to fight against a divine dragon formed by a Loose Immortal leading forty nine Primal Daoists? They were on completely separate levels. The difference in power was just too great.

  “Oh, Dong Seven… who the hell did you offend…” Daoist Coldsun felt both fury and despair.

  “It’s finished.” Daoist Snowplume led his disciples to block, but at the very first exchange, more than half of his disciples perished and the Snowdragon was completely shattered. A look of despair appeared on Daoist Snowplume’s face. “Snowdragon Mountain is finished. Damn us… damn us for not being strict in carrying out the laws of the sect. Our disciples have caused harm everywhere, and in the end… they finally offended a powerful figure.”

  BOOM.

  Daoist Snowplume instantly blew apart, causing an enormous storm of elemental ki. He had chosen self-detonation; this way, at least his soul would be able to reincarnate.

  ……

  Daoist Snowplume self-detonated. Daoist Coldsun was killed. Daoist Blackdragon was killed.

  Every single mountain peak that belonged to Snowdragon Mountain was overturned. Under the majestic power of these eight divine dragons that were ten thousand kilometers in length, some parts were crushed down to form a lakebed, while other parts were flattened into plains. In short… not a single true mountain could now be seen.

  “This… this…” Dong Seven was completely stunned.

  “Fellow Daoist Skyfall, sorry for the trouble. We’ll head straight back to the imperial capital now.”

  “This was a small matter. Snowdragon Mountain offended King Yan; they invited annihilation upon themselves. They cannot blame anyone but themselves.”

  “Then we’ll leave now.”

  “Please do. I won’t send you off.”

  The group of Golden Imperials immediately led Dong Seven aboard their warship, then departed. As for Northmont Skyfall, he stared at the former Snowdragon Mountains, which had now been smashed into lakes and plains. He couldn’t help but shake his head. “A small sect like this… they weren’t strict in their rules, and their disciples harmed many. The karmic luck of the school would naturally continue to drop, until finally, one day, annihilation arrived. How utterly laughable… even the imperial clan of the Grand Xia erected the Raindragon Guard and sent them out to apprehend and execute sinners for the sake of improving their luck, but a small sect like this actually acted with such wild abandon.”

  Whoosh. Northmont Skyfall disappeared into thin air, teleporting away.

  The imperial capital of the Grand Xia. King Yan’s Estate.

  The snow was drifting downwards right now as a group of Golden Imperials entered King Yan’s Estate.

  “Brothers, go get some rest, but keep an eye on that Dong Seven. I’m going to go report to the Princess right now,” a captain said, then immediately went to go see her.

  Within a wide, spacious hall. A banquet had been prepared here. Ning and Xiyue were currently accompanying Northson and the others, watching the snow while eating and chatting together.

  “Reporting to the Princess,” the captain said respectfully as he appeared, “We’ve caught him.”

  Ning and Xiyue both looked at the captain, and as they did, both were breathless. Upon hearing the words, “We’ve caught him”, both of them couldn’t help but rise to their feet.

  “Everyone, Ji Ning and I have something to attend to. We’ll return shortly,” Yuchi Xiyue said immediately.

  * * *

  Book 11, Chapter 36 - The Grand Xia Emperor

  A dark, gloomy room. There were many instruments of punishment located in this room. In the center, there was a punishment rack, atop which was bound a terrified, pathetic-looking white-robed youth.

  “This, this…” Dong Seven stared at the punishment instruments, face utterly ashen.

  “Who is it? Who exactly did I offend?” Dong Seven was absolutely horrified. “They actually annihilated Snowdragon Mountain.” His previous arrogant demeanor had completely vanished, leaving behind nothing but terror.

  The soldiers in the corner of the room just watched quietly. Suddenly…

  Rumble… the stone door swung open, and a woman walked in alongside a fur-clad youth. This caused Dong Seven to feel even more uneasy. He didn’t recognize these two at all.

  “Princess.” The soldier on guard called out with respect.

  “You can leave,” Yuchi Xiyue instructed.

  “Yes.” The soldier immediately departed, and the stone door once more swung shut.

  Yuchi Xiyue and Ji Ning both stared at the terrified, pathetic man bound atop the rack. These two cousins had long ago repeatedly reviewed the intelligence reports regarding Dong Seven. His appearance had been deeply engraved in both their hearts.

  “Dong Seven!” Ning’s eyes flashed with coldness.

  “It was you. It was you. It was you who destroyed my family, who killed my father and caused my mother to die of depression as well.” Xiyue’s eyes instantly turned red. She picked up a large ladle, filled with a bubbling, hot silver liquid, then flicked it towards Dong Seven.

  Crackle…

  The blazing silver liquid splattered on Dong Seven’s body. Dong Seven instantly emitted a miserable wail, and his neck s
tretched out as his agonized cries rang out. His face was as white as paper.

  After he somewhat came back to his senses, he pitifully cried out, “Mercy, mercy!”

  Ning’s eyes were red as well. Everything… everything had been a result of this wayward, hedonistic wastrel. This detestable person, this vile little creature who he, Ji Ning, now only looked down upon! But this detestable little creature had caused Ning’s parents as well as his cousin’s parents to all die early on. A feud of familicide… he could not live under the same skies with this man!

  “It hurts, it hurts! Mercy!” Dong Qi screamed miserably.

  “Hurts?” Ning picked up a blazing branding iron-type magic treasure and walked over. “That was just the start. Dong Seven, don’t be in such a rush. Slowly enjoy this.”

  “No, no, no no no–!” Dong Seven felt his own heart quiver. He began to scream miserably once more… but protective formations covered this punishment room, and no one outside could hear him at all.

  Ning heated up this branding iron-type magic treasure, filling it with his elemental ki. Instantly, a crackling sound could be heard as he pressed it down against the tattered body of Dong Seven. Smoke and steam arose. After he moved the branding iron away, he saw that Dong Seven’s skin now had the diagram of a flame branded into it, a brand which quietly activated the power of the natural world.

  “AHHH!! It hurts, it hurts!” Dong Seven’s entire body was quivering. That brand diagram seemed to be causing his entire body to burn, and this sensation of being burned to death repeatedly nearly caused him to mentally collapse.

  The nearby Xiyue said coldly, “Don’t worry. These are all instruments of punishment used by the imperial clan of the Grand Xia. You’ve only tasted two types so far. I won’t let you die that easily. I’ve prepared many fine spirit-pills. I’ll heal you repeatedly and let you taste the more than ten thousand types of corporal punishment the Grand Xia Dynasty has to offer. I’ll let you learn what pain is, what regret is!”

  Dong Seven, upon hearing this, nearly broke down. Ten thousand types of punishment? The first two had already nearly driven him to insanity.

  “How the hell did I offend you two? What the hell did I do? You must have the wrong person!” Dong Seven was almost crying now.

  Rumble… the stone door was once more pushed open. From outside padded in a large, snowy white hound. The stone door then shut once more.

  “Do you still recognize me?” Savagery was in the eyes of the Whitewater Hound as he stared at Dong Seven.

  “Whitewater Hound?” Dong Seven was stunned. Deep in his memories, a scene from decades ago began to replay. A scene with a tall, muscular man and a loving couple; the wife was pregnant and truly beautiful, with a rare and noble aura. Her pregnancy just added a strange mystique to her charm… and Dong Seven had been incredibly aroused.

  And so, he had ordered Yu Dong and Shui Yi to make their moves.

  “You remember now?” Ning said coldly. “That couple back then… they were my mother and father.”

  “The one that was killed by your group back then was my father.” Xiyue began to grow even more crazed. Her father had absolutely doted on her when she was a child. His wide, mountain-like shoulders… his loud laughter… his repeated appearances in her dreams…

  He was her most beloved father… and she had been her kind and gentle man…

  Ning and Xiyue both stared at Dong Seven.

  Dong Seven felt coldness in the bottom of his heart.

  “It was you who killed Shui Yi and Yu Dong?” Dong Seven said quaveringly.

  “Right.” Ning nodded. “And now, it is time for you. The principal instigator.”

  “My cousin was far too gentle; he simply used the Heartburner Art to torment those two.” Xiyue was gnashing her teeth. “Those two died, so that’s that… but as for you, the main culprit? I’m going to let you taste all of the ten thousand-plus punishments the Grand Xia has to offer. When the time comes for you to die, I will absorb your soul into the Furnace of Despair. I am going to torture your soul, every day and every night, for thousands of years…”

  Dong Seven’s gaze grew numb as he listened.

  Ning looked at his nearby cousin. Although he felt tremendous hatred as well, and also wanted to torture and shatter this man’s soul… compared to his cousin, he was far off.

  “Cousin, it’s enough for you to torment his soul for ten days and ten nights,” Ning sent mentally, his eyes red. “There’s no need for you to steep your soul in hatred for thousands of years for the sake of this piece of trash.”

  Torturing Dong Seven for thousands of years would also mean that Yuchi Xiyue would be steeped in hatred for thousands of years. Torturing others was a form of tormenting one’s self as well.

  “The seeds of my hatred are deep. Little brother, don’t worry about me.” Xiyue’s gaze had become twisted from madness.

  As Ning had grown up, he had been taught by his parents for more than ten years, then taught by Immortal Diancai as well. He also had his good friend, Mu Northson; thus, Ning’s inner heart had never become twisted.

  As for Xiyue, however… after her parents had died, she had lived by herself and suffered tremendously. She didn’t wish to think back to her days of suffering, but even after being brought back by her maternal grandfather to the imperial capital of the Grand Xia, she remained quite solitary. Only in front of her cousin would her heart feel slightly warm.

  ……

  Dong Seven died an agonizing death.

  After having been tortured for three months and perishing, his soul was indeed drawn into the ‘Furnace of Despair’ and tormented for more than another month. In the end… it had been King Yan who intervened. Although Princess Xiyue kept the Furnace of Despair on her own person at all times, and although there was no way an ordinary person could kill a soul that was located with a magic treasure… King Yan could. He destroyed Dong Seven’s soul.

  “Ji Ning, spend more time with Xiyue. She’s given vent to her hatred for nearly half a year now; she should be about done. If she continues like this, then she will completely lose herself to madness. Spend more time with her; this will help her slowly begin to walk out from the grips of hate.” King Yan personally chatted with Ning on this, and Ning naturally memorized these words.

  Deep autumn.

  In the deepest reaches of the skies above the imperial capital, there was a hazy gray void. Whoosh… the dim gray void suddenly parted, revealing an enormous corridor which was filled with a hazy golden light. A large number of black soldiers flew out in columns, and behind them there was a group of black-armored warriors that were riding on celestial horses. Behind the riders, there was an enormous coiling black dragon whose incomparably powerful aura filled the skies. It was pulling an enormous Immortal carriage that emanated golden light. There were golden lamps hanging from the Immortal carriage, and seated atop it was a black-robed man.

  This black-robed man had a plain, unassuming face. His eyes, however, seemed to hold thunder within them. Wherever his gaze passed, the world itself seemed about ready to split apart.

  His might and prestige caused the surrounding soldiers to feel absolute submission in their trembling hearts.

  Behind this Immortal carriage, there was a group of black-armored soldiers who were seated obediently within a warship. This warship was three hundred meters long, but it was much smaller than the Immortal carriage. It must be understood that the black dragon was more than thirty kilometers long… and the Immortal carriage was roughly the same size as the black dragon.

  Whoosh.

  The Emperor was out and about, with 999 guards escorting him.

  This squad flew downwards, flying directly towards the Skylight Palace. Amidst the clouds at the highest point of the Skylight Palace, a large group of Immortal maidens and soldiers were already waiting. They all fell to their knees. Each of them were at least at the Primal Daoist level… but for them to be able to serve the Grand Xia Emperor was their fortune.

>   “We bow to you, your Imperial Majesty.” A muscular, two-headed Fiendgod was the first to immediately kneel down and call out the words.

  Instantly, the other Immortal maidens and soldiers all knelt down as well. “We bow to you, your Imperial Majesty.”

  The black dragon pulled the Immortal carriage downwards. The many black-armored soldiers that were escorting the carriage all quickly separated, moving to stand in different positions.

  “Mm.” The black-robed man left the Immortal carriage. With but two steps, he arrived at the nearby imperial throne, then sat down. He looked downwards at them from his position on high, then instructed, “Send an order out to have King Qi come.”

  “Yes.” The twin-headed Fiendgod immediately obeyed the order.

  The black-robed man continued to sit there on the throne. He swept his gaze forward, seeming to stare through the layers of clouds and be able to inspect everything within the imperial capital.

  He sat there on high. This was the Emperor of this major world… the one who had truly, absolutely unified it!

  However, he had set his sights on the Three Realms long ago. He rarely came back to spend time in this major world of the Grand Xia.

  “A few decades ago, the Netherworld Kingdom of the Three Realms suffered an attack. The Six Paths of Reincarnation were collapsed and destroyed… and then the attackers suddenly vanished without a trace.” The black-robed Emperor mused softly to himself, “The Netherworld… that is where the souls of the Three Realms reside. How important it is! The defenses there are very tight. The Yama-Kings of the Ten Halls and the Lord of Cui Palace are all Pure Yang True Immortals, and each of them are formidable.”

  “Kshitigarbha [1. This is the bodhisattva who swore that he would only become a Buddha after emptying out all the hells of their sinners through enlightening mankind.], of the Buddhist schools, stands guard there as well. The Netherworld has some other ancient fellows there as well… it is a place of tremendous power, but upon suffering a sneak attack, it wasn’t able to fight back at all. In a very short period of time, the Six Paths of Reincarnation were destroyed… and they haven’t even been able to find out who caused it or where the attackers came from. Even someone like Master was unable to find out.”